Middle East

With one dead and 55 injured in Israel in Gazan rocket assault، official says now is "time for action، not talks". U.S. special envoy Greenblatt: Attacks on Israel "must be condemned by all". U.N. chief urges all sides to exercise "maximum restraint، as Israel Ha Yom said."Israel has suspended its participation in the Egyptian-mediated truce talks with Hamas، Israeli media reported Tuesday، quoting an Israeli official who said it was "time for action، not talks."Earlier Tuesday، the United Nations said it was working with Egypt to broker an end to the latest round of violence between Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip and Israel.The office of U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said Monday that efforts were underway "to ensure that Gaza steps back from the brink."Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed joint responsibility for a barrage of rockets and mortar shells fired at southern Israel over Monday night، as the Israel Defense Forces responded with a wave of more than 100 airstrikes.The violence was triggered by a botched Israeli military mission in Gaza on Sunday in which seven Palestinian terrorists and a senior IDF officer were killed.The ensuing barrage of projectiles fired from Gaza into Israel killed one person in Ashkelon and wounded at least 55 others. A 19-year-old soldier was critically wounded when a mortar shell hit a bus.Egyptian officials warned Israel on Monday that it needed to prevent an escalation in Gaza، Egyptian state TV quoted sources as saying.The sources said Egypt told Israel of the need to commit to the de-escalation process، and also stepped up efforts with the Palestinians in that regard. But those officials said that all requests for Israeli forces to hold their fire have been rejected.Israeli officials said that following Monday's attacks، Israel would suspend cease-fire negotiations، vowing to deal Hamas a serious blow.U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for calm and for restraint، a U.N. spokesman said.